Milk Carton Catchers

An oldie but a goodie. Homemade catchers - of sorts - made by recycling milk cartons.

I used a soft sided 3 litre carton. Sharp edges should be covered with tape - this carton was surprisingly not sharp at all.

This can be used individually; throwing and catching any object that will fit comfortably in it. Begin with items that won't roll away to readily...ie. beanbags or soft toys  are ideal.

It can also be used by two people to throw and catch to each other. With older children, suggest rallies over a makeshift net, suggest boundaries and begin simple rules. Include a bounce before catching.

We are at the stage of scooping up balls and anything that will fit in the carton. Quite a lot of investigation has taken place with regard to what fits in the carton, the tipping angle before it falls out, the noise each item makes. Not much PE yet, but a lot of other learning taking place.

And of course there is also a great deal of laughter. As you can see, all this takes place before breakfast is over.

O-Balls - very catchy

We have just returned from a fabulous trip to the USA.  It was a fabulous trip for many reasons but here I will write about the fabulous thing I found whilst wandering the aisles of Wallmart looking for Fritos.

O-balls...in the childrens toy section for a couple of dollars. Found here.

The design of O-balls means it can be used to scaffold the skill of catching. It allows the learner to grasp the ball upon contact with much greater success. Whilst they do roll away once dropped, they do not bounce all over which means less time chasing the ball around. They can be used instead of tennis balls in many throwing and catching games and activities.

Discourage the hooking of fingers through it whilst throwing.

I loved them so much I bought four of them. I highly recommend them.

It's Catching

Introducing the skill of catching to little ones with a balloon ball allows the components of the task to be learned without the closing of eyes at the critical point.

The ability to track the ball as it approaches the catcher is developed during the preschool and early primary school years. This has more to do with biology than training. Until then, a toddler/preschooler will naturally close their eyes as the ball enters their personal space.

Slowing the ball down as it approaches the learner is one way to authentically teach the components of the task by scaffolding the learning of this skill. When readiness is shown, increase the rate of approach by removing the balloon cover and introducing increasingly heavier balls.

It is a far less traumatic approach to learning how to catch . Many students reach the middle primary school years still habitually closing their eyes just before contact is made between the ball and the hands. This derails the learning process with the end result being decreasing confidence and possibly reluctance to continue participation.

While it is certainly possible to unlearn the habits formed through learning to catch ineffectively, it is the loss of opportunity to enjoy, participate, build upon skills and derive confidence from being able to catch competently that is disappointing for any physical education specialist.

So here are my tips to accompany the use of balloon balls;

1. Begin with hands outstretched, palms up. "More please!"

2. Hug the ball to the chest.

3. High fives all round

4. Smile with pride

N.B. Even with a balloon ball, the eyes will initially close momentarily. It is a reflex action to the approaching ball. Soon the eyes will track the ball into the hands with increasing confidence.